My gongfu teacher – Master Chan Tin-Sang (1924-1993) – taught me to write down a short aspiration on a slip of paper (in-front of the family shrine) – visualise the physical manifestation of whatever was required, and then carefully “burn” the slip. The ashes were then mixed into a glass of water and drank (thus imbuing the “spell”). In the Hakka-Cantonese language this (internal) process is termed “Mo-Sut” [魔術] (or “magic arts”). This is not to be confused with the similarly sounding “Mo Sut” (武術) – which stands for “Martial Arts”. “Mo-Sut” [魔術] (or “Magic Arts”) ran parallel with “Mo-Gui” [魔鬼] (or “Magic-Spirits”). My experience of Daoist magic came down through my gongfu training – and not through my Qianfeng Daoist (neidan) training. I suppose I experienced the “folk” variant as practiced within the culture of the Hakka people. In this regard, I practiced “invincibility” spells that prevented me being defeated in fighting over many years (when I was a teacher and lineage head). This is a lesson not in superstition – but sound character building and the application of physical skills. My ongoing training – which maintains my health and strength – constitutes “Immortality” training. Mo-Sut correlates with “self-visualisation” techniques that boost the self – whilst Mo-Gui seeks to unnerve and unsettle an opponent “at a distance” (as if their well-being is being interfered with by an unseen third-party).
